Papilio glaucus ssp. maynardi

[trehopr1]

The picture below illustrates the fabulous Eastern Tiger Swallowtail subspecies we have come to know as maynardi. It is the Florida variant of this butterfly although I have been told by other collectors it can be seen in the far southern counties of Georgia at the right time of year. It is basically a tiger swallowtail on "steroids" so to speak. Absolutely a " jaw dropping" event when you see one of these fair ladies flapping by you to nectar a flower or just in passing. I have had this pleasure twice in my visits to Florida.
For size comparisons I took a "typical" size Papilio glaucus light-phase female (nominate) from Illinois and pinned it alongside 2 ssp. maynardi females in my collection. The 2 maynardi females on the left are captures made by a collector friend of mine who travels to Florida once a year for a week stay. I only acquired those 2 through a trade we made. I never caught the two I sighted !
Anyway, my " typical" example measures in at 8.9 cm.(wingtip to wingtip). On the left side, the maynardi female on top measures in at an impressive 11.5 cm. with the lower maynardi female coming in at 12.2 cm. Quite the size difference and impressive as it can be.
In America here, we have 3 subspecies and one nominate species of the Tiger Swallowtail present on our Eastern seaboard (east of the Mississippi River). The nominate can be found pretty much throughout the whole of the Midwest and going eastwards towards the coast and south towards the gulf. The subspecies canadensis can be picked along our states bordering Canada, while the subspecies appalachiensis is to be found in the range of the Smokey mountains in Tennessee, North Carolina etc. Subspecies maynardi finishes off with South Georgia and Florida respectively.
Most Europeans are probably unfamiliar with ssp. maynardi as examples they will likely ever encounter will be of our typical nominate which everyone is familiar with. However, maynardi is a beast most notable for its size and sheer magnificence. Something very special to keep an eye out for ! There are 3 broods of it in Florida with the two latter broods being the giant sized examples. The two I have were collected in Kissimmee Florida in middle and late September (two years apart).

[Adam Cotton]

Nice, but can you please tell everyone where these specimens come from. I know where maynardi is from, but I guess that the majority of readers don't.

Adam.

[trehopr1]

Sorry Adam, I was in the midst of typing up the text of my thread when you viewed the picture.

[larrycurlymoe]

P. glaucus maynardi is an impressive butterfly. I have 2 specimens, both female, from Florida. Both are mounted exactly the same way as the ones in trehopr's photo. One measures 11 cm wingtip-to-wingtip, the other measures 11.5 cm. However, I have a female P. glaucus glaucus, mounted the same way, that measures 11 cm. It was caught near Houston, TX. I cannot distinguish it visually from the maynardi specimens. I assume it's glaucus glaucus because it was caught in TX. Could it be a stray maynardi or a drastic range extension? I haven't heard of any maynardi from other gulf states that would tie into the FL population. I'm sticking with glaucus glaucus for now.

[Paul K]

Very nice and huge subspecies!
Papilio glaucus is one of the most impressive butterfly in Southern Ontario, Canada. The nominate subspecies occurs commonly in southern part of Ontario. In northern part it is replaced by Papilio canadensis which is now treated as the separate species and not subspecies of P.glaucus. In some areas north of Toronto both species can be found in the late spring flying together. P.glaucus has also second generation in July and August and P.canadensis has only one generation in May and June. I just want to add that I have never found dark female form in Ontario.

Paul

[deliasfanatic]

P. canadensis doesn't have a dark female form.

[Paul K]

Feb 14, 2017 3:54:12 GMT deliasfanatic said:

P. canadensis doesn't have a dark female form.

Yes, I made that note to P.glaucus 

Paul

[deliasfanatic]

Ah, I see. Interesting that you don't get dark females of glaucus - they're quite common in most areas of the species' range.

[Paul K]

Feb 14, 2017 5:27:07 GMT deliasfanatic said:

Ah, I see. Interesting that you don't get dark females of glaucus - they're quite common in most areas of the species' range.

P.troilus and P.glaucus dark form females they both mimic B.philenor which is rare in Ontario except very south part along Lake Erie where can be found sometimes, but it is uncommon there too. Perhaps that is why there is no reason for dark form. In some papers there are records of dark forms in Southern Ontario but they are very rare.

Paul

[deliasfanatic]

Probably so - I've heard that reason before, come to think of it.

[jhyatt]

Incidentally, I often collect late-summer specimens of P. glaucus maynardi in southern coastal GA (McIntosh, Liberty, and Camden counties). Dark-for females do occasionally occur there, and they are every bit as large as the light ones. Males are also large, but not so distinctively so as the females. Many females have a decidedly orangish cast to their yellow coloration. Spring-brood glaucus in that area are pretty much indistinguishable from southern appalachian examples, in my experience.

It is my firm belief that these things emerge from the chrysalids in tattered, flightworn condition! I have taken perhaps one or two truly perfect examples out of perhaps a couple of hundred caught over the years.

Actually, I suppose that the larger the wings, the more likely damage is to occur during flight. Or perhaps the fresh ones are strictly canopy insects, and only come down to nectar when older and worn? Then again, the problem may simply be with my luck!

Cheers,
jh
Kingsport, TN/Meridian, GA

[exoticimports]

I have NEVER seen a dark form glaucus in New England, including south eastern Pennsylvania.

They are common in Virginia Beach.

In between those points (Baltimore, Washington DC) I have no experience.

[jhyatt]

Here in the southern Appalachians, the dark form is about 90% of the female population. Yellow females are an uncommon sight. And of course B. philenor is an outright weed in these parts... On the coast of GA where they're the maynardi form in late summer, about 80% are yellow, 20% dark.
jh